March 19, 2004

Going Ape

I've really missed out all these years, now I can say it, I finally saw Planet of the Apes. It had all the elements that make a good film - socio commentary (lot's of anti-war messages, deconstruction of racism, questioning violence, mocking authority, etc.), good special effects for 1968, and an exciting adventure plot. And to hear Charlton Heston's anti-war monologue in the beginning was worth it.
My question is, did Charlton Heston know what this film was trying to accomplish? or was it one of those "Don't tell him it's about two gay guys" kind of thing like Gore Vidal did for Ben-Hur.

Thanks! The "leftist" content in Planet of the Apes took me by surprise. It could be only a reflection of my own personal views- another person could interpret it in other ways, I suppose.
The Doinel collection is definitely a landmark in cinema- enjoyable to watch, but still very profound ( it documents the life of a burgeoning writer/artist).
I emailed you about the memoir.